


Just as I Can Be So Cruel

by ab2fsycho (orphan_account)



Series: If on a Winter's Night an AU [2]
Category: Guardians of Childhood - William Joyce, Labyrinth (1986), Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Crossover, I see what you did there, M/M, You Ruin Everything, dance kids, enjoy my lovelies, goddammit alex shut up, have fun guessing who's who, i was gonna say bitches but then i remembered the rating, in which everything is simple but not everything is what is seems, shut up alex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-11-05
Updated: 2013-12-06
Packaged: 2017-12-31 15:23:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,524
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1033259
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/ab2fsycho
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Seraphina always felt for the antagonists of the stories she read. However, Kozmotis never thought that one of them would come to life and take her away because of her overly-sympathetic nature. Now, he must traverse through the maze to save his daughter from a Goblin King who seeks not only to keep Seraphina for himself, but persuade Kozmotis to join him. With the help of the creatures living under Jareth's thumb and some new abilities Kozmotis didn't know he possessed, he must face the labyrinth.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TheGoldenAppleofAsgard](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheGoldenAppleofAsgard/gifts), [TheChronicLiar](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheChronicLiar/gifts).



> This is the complete and utter fault of these two people to whom I am gifting this.
> 
> My intention was never to write multiple things at one time, but alas here I am. And I'm not complaining. Nope. This is what I live to do.

“Read it again!”

“No, it’s time for bed for you.”

“But Daddy—.”

“Come now, Seraphina, you need your rest.”

She folded her arms and pouted, poking her tiny lip out as if that were going to change his mind. Kozmotis tried very hard not to smile at the expression. “Princess, you’ve heard the story so many times, you can probably recite it.”

“I can, but it’s not the same,” she said, lip still poking out. “Can we at least talk about the story?”

Kozmotis sighed and gave into the request. “Only for a few minutes. What do you want to talk about?”

She perked up at that. “Who’s your favorite character?”

He smiled. “The main sidekick. What’s his name again? Heckle?”

“Hoggle!” she corrected enthusiastically.

He chuckled. “I like him. Who’s your favorite?”

She grinned shyly, looking down. “The king.”

Of course. She tended to lean towards the bad guys. “Jareth? The Goblin King’s your favorite?”

“He’s just lonely,” she defended him. “He just wants Sarah to be his friend.”

“He’s got you fooled, then,” Kozmotis uttered. “You should never trust goblins or goblin leaders. They can be tricky.”

“But he keeps his promises, doesn’t he?”

“If you can beat him at his game. And he doesn’t play fair,” he explained, holding up the book. “Only Sarah was smart enough to defeat him. Remember what she said?”

“You have no power over me,” Seraphina said happily.

Kozmotis smiled. “That’s right. And don’t you forget that.”

“I won’t,” she responded with a smile. Then the smile dissipated, and she said, “I still think he’s lonely. He wouldn’t do all those things if he wasn’t so lonely.”

“People do a lot of things because of loneliness, but that doesn’t make it right,” he said. Then he leaned down and kissed the top of her head. Handing her the stuffed rabbit she was so fond of, he whispered, “Now go to sleep.”

She didn’t complain, this time. Turning off her bedside lamp, he stood and walked to the door. As he got ready to step out, he heard her whisper, “I wish the goblins would take me away.”

“Why would you say that, darling?” he asked, indulging her imagination.

“So I could meet the king and find out if there was an easier way to make him happy.”

She seemed so innocent. He didn’t bother telling her that such attempts would be futile on most if not all men like Jareth. She would only understand that with age. That was one of the finer points of the story _Labyrinth_ : it taught everyone, no matter what age, lessons. A new lesson seemed to appear with each presentation of the story. He hoped that Seraphina would learn those lessons much quicker than he had. “Be careful what you wish for, Seraphina.” That was the most important lesson in his book. “Sleep tight.” 

He turned away and began walking down the hall to his room. He heard the muffled completion of his daughter’s wish, “Right now.” He thought nothing of it.

As he neared the end, he heard the familiar clap of thunder outside. Just as the wind started howling, the power went out. “Seraphina,” he called instinctively. He knew she wasn’t very fond of the dark. To say that she was scared of it would be inaccurate, but she wasn’t exactly comfortable in it. “Seraphina,” he called again. Both times, there hadn’t been an answer. His heart sped up as he turned around and marched back to her room, nearly blinded by the darkness. Feeling his way along the walls, Kozmotis called again, “Seraphina, answer me!” Stumbling into her room, there was nothing. He leaned over her bed, feeling for her hands, her head, something. She was gone. The howling winds and the rattling of her bedroom window did little to ease his nerves. “Sera, are you hiding?” he asked. Panicking, he cried, “Seraphina Pitchiner, you come out this instant.”

Just then, the window shattered. Shards flew at him, one piercing his forearm. He cried out, crouching and throwing his arms up to shield himself against the wind and rain. The lightning provided brief episodes of lighting, and he could see that Seraphina wasn’t in the room at all. He called out for her again, but was forced deeper into his huddle as the wind grew worse.

Then it all ceased. The wind, the rain, the storm intruding in his home stopped. It still thundered outside, but there was no sign of the window having broken or the rain having spilled into his daughter’s room. There was only the blood on his arm as evidence that anything suspicious had ever happened.

And . . . and the long shadow that was now extending over him. “Well, this is a first,” came a deep voice Kozmotis didn’t recognize. Looking up, he couldn’t see anything at first. There was only darkness. Then lightning struck just outside the window and suddenly, the tall individual was being highlighted by the storm. He was unlike anything Kozmotis had ever seen. He was . . . dressed like a king. But not an earthly king. There was nothing earthly about this man. Kozmotis could barely see in the dark as the figure gestured and said, “Well this is rather dismal.” Kozmotis heard a snap and power was restored to his home.

The light of Seraphina’s bedroom turned on, and he was faced with the unearthly man he’d come to describe as a king. His observation wasn’t too far wrong. The man’s high cheekbones, strange eyes, and fine hairstyle matched his long cape with a high collar and out-of-date clothing.

But once Kozmotis was done taking in the man’s appearance and no longer gave any thought as to how he could’ve controlled the electricity in his home with a snap, only one thing remained in Kozmotis’s mind.

“What are you doing here? Where’s my daughter? What have you done with her?!” The questions came out rapidly, his voice raising as he stood and surged forward. He was ready to charge the intruder. And the intruder was laughing at his outburst, which only made Kozmotis furious. “Where is my daughter?!” Kozmotis screamed as his hands flew up, ready to strangle the unearthly man.

The king merely lifted a hand and suddenly, he was gone. Kozmotis stopped moving, almost tripping on the soft, green rug Seraphina had been so fond of. Spinning about, he searched for the man. He saw nothing. Then the house went completely dark again and he was alone in the shadows. Until he heard a low laughing, that is. “How intriguing. How fascinating, really.” Then Kozmotis felt someone breathing on the back of his neck. His whole body stiffened. “I’ve never had a child come to me willingly. Well,” he whispered in Kozmotis’s ear and chuckled again, “not for a very long time.”

Kozmotis spun around and swung his fists at the king, but was met with thin air. “Give her back to me!” he bellowed.

More laughter. “Throwing punches won’t bring her back any faster, dearest Kozmotis. You’ll have to show a little more control over yourself than that.”

Kozmotis’s clenched fists clenched tighter, and all he wanted to do was take down the man who’d taken his child. His heart hammered, his chest ached, his skin was tight and clammy with sweat, and his teeth ground together as he fought to get out of his own fighting stance. He refused to sound desperate. He refused to let this intruder see how upset he was under all the frustration. Forcing himself to loosen his muscles and stand straighter, he took a deep breath. Then, in a still shaky voice, he asked, “Who are you? Where can I find her?”

“That’s a more agreeable tone,” the king said, appearing in front of Kozmotis and snapping to switch on the power again. It took everything Kozmotis had not to launch himself at the man again. With a wry smirk, the intruder said, “Surely you know the answer to the first question.”

It couldn’t be. But how else could it be explained? There was no other viable answer Kozmotis could come up with. “You’re the Goblin King. Jareth.”

“Oh good. You have heard of me.” Jareth circled him, and once again Kozmotis struggled to keep still. “As for your daughter . . . you also know the answer.” Kozmotis tried to show he wasn’t fearful by following Jareth’s movement and turning with him. He tried to even out his breathing as the Goblin King stood directly behind him. He must not have been very successful at hiding these feelings, because he heard Jareth chuckling more. “It’s such a simple answer. And it’s been so long since a parent conquered the challenge. Only ungrateful siblings and brat teenagers who don’t know to take their place come through here now.”

Kozmotis turned around slowly, and found himself no longer in Seraphina’s room. Instead, he was facing the maze. He was facing the impressive labyrinth described in gorgeous detail within the pages of Seraphina’s favorite book. Beyond the labyrinth itself was Jareth’s castle, in which he could hear Seraphina’s laughter. “Sera . . .,” he muttered, prepared to make a break for the gates leading into the labyrinth.

“Ah ah ah,” Jareth said, placing a hand on Kozmotis’s shoulder and pulling him back to face him. “I wouldn’t leave without hearing of the time limits if I were you.”

“Thirteen hours?” Kozmotis asked. “Isn’t that how it’s done?” Jareth’s smile further unnerved him. “That’s how it’s done! Tell me that’s how it’s done!”

“Not with you.” Kozmotis’s brow lifted in shock at that. “I give you ten hours.”

“Why, you lit—?” Kozmotis couldn’t stop himself from springing forward at the Goblin King, only to land on the dirt beneath him. He looked up, and instead of seeing Jareth saw the antique clock hanging in midair start ticking.

“You’re a parent. Parents get special treatment. And you didn’t wish away your child. She wished herself away. Plus . . . your military experience should give you a great advantage over the usual runners.” The voice echoed as Kozmotis stood up and dusted himself off, staring desperately at the maze and castle ahead.

“Don’t hurt her,” he pleaded, his façade dropping briefly.

“I would never hurt a willing guest. Should you fail however,” Jareth’s voice faded as he laughed, “she is mine.”

His fearful stare directed at the labyrinth turned into a glare. Kozmotis couldn’t allow that.


	2. Chapter 2

“Excuse me?”

“Oh! Excuse _me_!” The young man turned to address Kozmotis, clutching a tin canister meant to spray a chemical of some form to his chest. He half expected the young man to panic and run at the sight of him, but he didn’t. Kozmotis also expected him to sneer at the sight of a human, but he didn’t do that either. He smiled, straightening and allowing the stiffness in his body to fade as he declared with a wink, “Oh. It’s you.”

Folding his arms, Kozmotis took in the boy’s appearance. He almost seemed human, but his ears were just a little too pointed and his eyes just a little too crystal blue. Kozmotis couldn’t even begin to fathom the starkness of the young man’s white hair. Staring at the boy’s vest and untucked white shirt, the browns and yellows only managed to make his face seem more ethereal. His outfit was very peasant-like, breeches cut just below his knees and no shoes protected his feet. Still, he was clearly not of Kozmotis’s world. Shaking his head, Kozmotis began to focus. He didn’t bother addressing the fact that the boy already seemed to know about him. That wasn’t relevant at that moment. “I need to get inside the labyrinth. I don’t have much time.”

The young man’s expression turned mischievous and his eyebrows quirked as though peeved. “Well hi, how you doin’? Nice to meet you too, what’s-his-face. My name’s Jack, and thank you for asking.” Kozmotis rolled his eyes as the boy readied the canister and spray nozzle, stalking a group of hummingbirds. As Kozmotis neared, however, it became clear that they were not hummingbirds. They looked more like . . . were those actually fairies?

Kozmotis shook his head, refocusing on the young man. “I can’t waste worthless conversation on you right now. I have to find my daughter and some help would be much appreciated.”

“You speak so eloquently for someone in a hurry,” Jack uttered as he crept up on one fairy and sprayed it with the chemical. He caught it in his hand as it fell, cursing as it pecked a hole into his palm with its needle-like nose. Jack tossed the fairy into a large pouch at his side. “Little brats,” he grumbled loud enough for Kozmotis to hear. Kozmotis cleared his throat expectantly, but Jack only gave him another grin. “You could at least introduce yourself first.”

Kozmotis looked up at the sky, praying for mercy and knowing the plea wouldn’t be answered. “Kozmotis. Kozmotis Pitchiner. My daughter’s name is Seraphina. I have to find her.”

Jack’s expression remained cheerful, though. “Hi, I’m Jack!”

Kozmotis growled, “You said that already.” Jack proceeded to spray another fairy, repeating the process of catching and stuffing her into his pouch. “What are you doing that for, anyway?”

“Collecting them for an associate. How may I be of service, oh great and powerful Koz?” he asked as he made swifter work of yet another fairy.

Kozmotis wanted to tear his hair out. Was the young man listening to him at all? “How do I get into the labyrinth?”

“Oh!” Jack said, setting down his canister. Kozmotis could hear the fairies he’d caught squealing inside the sack tied to Jack’s breeches. “Easy! Right here!” As he pointed, part of the large, stone wall opened up to reveal a hidden door inside the labyrinth. As soon as Kozmotis saw the entrance, he prepared to run for it. “Hold up,” Jack said, grabbing Kozmotis’s sleeve.

“What?!” Kozmotis cried impatiently. His daughter was in there and he couldn’t fathom how much more irritating the creatures inside the labyrinth were going to be compared to Jack.

Jack was unabashed by Kozmotis’s cry. “Are you sure you wanna go in there? I mean . . . who in their right mind _wants ___to run the labyrinth?”

_Kozmotis almost shouted at Jack again, but stopped. Sighing, he offered, “Unless you have a better way of getting me and my daughter out of here safely, I suggest you let go of me.”_

_With that, Jack slipped his hand free of Kozmotis’s sleeve and shrugged. “Suit yourself. At least I had the decency to ask.”_

_Decency. Kozmotis would’ve laughed had he not been frustrated enough as is. Facing down the giant maze, he took his first steps inwards. Recalling what little he knew of mazes and puzzles, he plunged headlong into the challenge. “I’m coming Seraphina.”_

_He didn’t realize that Jack was watching as he went, nor did he see the sad face Jack wore as he looked on in pity. Little did Kozmotis know what plans Jareth had in store for him. “Watch your step, old man,” Jack thought aloud. “He’s not the only king here. Not anymore.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also very sorry not to have updated sooner. Getting the crossover universe straight in my mind is harder than I thought it would be. But I think you'll be able to figure out what's going to happen as chapters proceed. I'm being intentionally vague in certain spots. That way, if you are surprised by the moves I'm about to make, I will have the opportunity to high-five myself and my wifey Luna. She is the one who wanted this first, and TheChronicLiar helped her convince me.


End file.
